Lula May
by TweetyCherry
Summary: Lula May is Melinda May's daughter. Realising that Lula was a mistake, May hands her daughter to her father, away from her dangerous SHIELD life. Refers to the new female character 'Lula May' from the second installment of Now You See Me 2.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Lula May**

 **Summary:**

 **Lula May is Melinda May's daughter. Realising that Lula was a mistake, May hands her daughter to her father, away from her dangerous SHIELD life. Refers to the new female character 'Lula May' from the second installment of Now You See Me 2.**

 **AUTHOR NOTE:**

 **This story is based on the new charcter ('Lula May') from the new movie 'Now You See Me 2'. Hope you guys like it.**

 **Chapter 1 - A Mistake**

Melinda May didn't know what to do. She was always a very level-headed person. Intelligent, skilled yet mature. She knew what was right and what was wrong. But this? The pink bundle in her arms was a proof of her foolishness. Proof of what she had become in her lust. She can not accept this. It's against her rules. She's not even 21 yet and she already made the biggest mistake of her life that all women tend to make. How could she? It wasn't her. It can't be. She's not equipped and trained to do this. It's a mistake. All a mistake. A mistake that she foolishly made with her long-time friend, Coulson. She shouldn't have. But she needed the comfort. She needed his presence. The warmth of his body against her seemed the right thing to do. She wasn't sure if she loved him but she was sure that the moment he was with her, all her worries disappeared. That one night wasted in drinking and laughing felt like the perfect moment. A moment that she had longed so much. Now that it has come and gone, the consequences are finally settling in.

"I'm so sorry, Lula." She muttered to the infant in her arms. She caressed the soft cheek and held the little fingers in her hand. The baby looked beautiful. Just like her mother. She could already see few traces of Coulson's genes, like the nose and the ears, definitely the ears. Soft and small. They reminded Melinda so much of Coulson. It didn't take long before she was kissing the infant's forehead and then looking up at the large house right infront of her. She has to do this. She has to. It's the best option she has, to run away from her mistake and avoid this responsibility. The job she does, the danger she plays with, the enemies she makes, stops her from keeping this infant... This mistake... Maybe she was being harsh by calling it a mistake but she didn't know what else to call it. Coulson isn't ready to take this responsibility, nor is she. Heck, Coulson wants nothing to do with children. After all they were so young. Still 20, trying to make their careers. How could they take this responsibility? It's imperative that she does this. For the sake of her job and for the sake of herself, she has to do this. Maybe in the coming years, she might change her mind but for now she's not ready.

Maybe it was the cold chill in the air or the sleeping bundle in her arms that made her shiver. Whatever it was, she felt her emotions drain as she knocked thrice on the front door before waiting two seconds and then knocking the fourth time. It was a code. Devolved by her CIA mother for security.

She waited silently, inhaling and exhaling, while tapping her foot in patience. She glanced back at the infant and nearly felt her heart melting. Nearly. Before she gained her control back on her emotions. It was after few seconds when she heard the first click and then the second and then third. Letting the door swing, she found herself facing an elderly man who she hasn't seen since she was 16. The age she left to pursue her career in SHIELD. He looked the same. Four years doesn't really make a difference on him. It was only his small patches of grey hair around the sides that indicated his four year ageing. Other than that he still had that same middle age charisma.

"Melee?" The rough yet soft voice of her father travelled to her ears.

"Hey, dad." Melinda greeted her father, wincing at the childish nickname.

"Oh melee.. I missed you so much. Why didn't you reply back to my phone calls?" Her father asked, not Realising that she was holding onto someone in her arms. How would he? Eye-sight problem.

"Dad, can I come in?" Melinda interjected. Her father nodded and let her in, the door slamming shut behind her. She looked around the warm living room which hasn't changed much. She could see the same Egyptian eye symbol hung over the door. Same old trophies. Same old couch. Same old fireplace. Same old chinese interior. If she knew any better, it felt like she was a child again, desperate to find her father's secrets that he has hidden in the house. Forced to look through many magic tricks that she never believed were true. She could even see the old deck of playing cards that her father used to show his tricks with. She always hated the word magic. It was a unknown variable that she never understood.

"Oh melee, your mother was so worried. I was worried. I hadn't seen my baby girl since-"

"Dad." Melinda said loudly, gaining his attention. She didn't have much time. "I've got a problem." She stated as she held out the pink bundle in her arms which was now moving. Lula must be awake.

William May looked at the baby in his daughter's arms. He knew about the presence of the infant from the beginning, but he didn't wanted to address it until his daughter was comfortable. He may be old but his eye-sight is not that bad. He knows a distress look when he sees one.

Melinda watched as her father slowly walked forward and held the infant in his hands. She could see his face brightening as Lula did her first yawn and opened her eyes.

"Oh my... She looks just like you, melee." Melinda tried to hold her smile back but she couldn't. This is the first time she had seen her father happy after he was divorced from her mother.

"Her name's Lula, dad. Lula May."

"Welcome to the family, Lula." The sentence itself knocked Melinda off her hinges. She didn't expected her father to be this easily acceptable of her mistake.

"Dad, it was a mistake." Melinda blurted out, horrid at her own sentence. "I.. I can't take her." She knew she was being cruel but she really can't.

"Don't be like this, melee. She needs you." Her father insisted as he held her hand and squeezed it in comfort. But the simple touch of assurance wasn't enough for her. She can't risk her career for this yet.

"I'm sorry." She said as she pulled her hand away, in the process knocking over an ancient vase that she now remembered was one of the parts of her father's game. **_Sacrifice_**. That's whats in the vase. A tarot card representing Sacrifice.

"Sacrifice can be both ways, melee." Her father reminded her, knowing that she remembers the significant of this vase. "Don't choose the wrong one."

"I've already made my decision, dad." Melinda repeated back, looking at the vase and then at Lula. "And it's the right one." With that she moved back to the front door. The sooner she leaves the better. Her father looked at her in shock and sadness.

"Don't be like your mother, melee." William May stated as he cradle the little infant. "Lula needs you." Melinda stopped in her tracks and looked at her father.

"She will learn to be a sacrifice, Dad. Like I have. I'm in the same place as mum." Melinda said before she wrenched the door open, letting the cold air of the winter night come in.

"Melee, please. She needs you." Her father pleaded. She looked at Lula with a growing sadness. She can't do this.

"I.. I can't." Melinda whispered out, shaking her head, holding her tears back. 9 months with the baby has made her attach. But she wasn't ready to sacrifice her career yet. "Please, just take care of her." And with that she left the house and leaving a crying infant in her father's arms.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - Over the Years**

Over the years, Melinda kept a check on her daughter. She didn't want to admit it but, the guilt of sacrificing her daughter for her job has been eating her up since the time she has left Lula with her father. The monthly checks on her daughter were the only thing that kept her from sprouting her guilt all over the place, even though she knows that her daughter will learn to hate her as the maturity of the situation will finally settle in.

"Mumma?" She heard a soft voice behind her. Melinda stiffened as she griped her tea cup. She wasn't expecting Lula to be back this soon. She thought she still had over an hour before the little 12 year old girl could make her appearance. One look from her father confirmed her suspicions. He had tricked her. He must have told Lula to come home early from her party.

Melinda couldn't help but throw a glare at her father who smiled apologetically in return. She never met Lula face to face, always disappearing off before Lula could locate her eyes on her. Bringing in gifts and chocolates whenever its possible and leaving without letting her daughter know. What surprised the agent was how the 12 year old girl could recognise her mother. One look, and Lula was sprouting the relation like she had met Melinda many times before.

"I'm sorry, Melee. But she deserves to know." Her father said in assurance as he patted Melinda's stiff back before leaving the room.

"Your back..." She heard the voice huff again. Melinda slowly put her cup down and turned towards the girl. Lula was dressed in a black flower dress, the thick black leather belts encasing her upper tummy and letting the bottom of the dress flow out, ending just above her knees. What amazed Melinda was the hair cut. They were longer the last time she saw her daughter in the park. Now, they were Short, shoulder length black curls. It was the same hairstyle that she had done when she was a teenager. She could also see the old deck of playing cards shuffling nervously in her daughter's hands in a skilled way. A way that only her father could do. Dad, must have told her few of his tricks. At least her daughter seemed more interested than her.

"Are those for me?" Lula asked as she pointed towards the chocolates that Melinda had brought. Without saying anything, Melinda stiffly nodded before handing the boxes to her child. "Thank you." Lula replied as she put the deck down and grabbed onto the chocolate boxes.

12 years later, Melinda May still didn't know how to handle the kids. She wanted nothing more to than just hug her daughter and apologise but she knew it was too late for that. She had come too far. She can't leave her spy world even if she wanted to.

"How did you know 'mms' are my favourite?" Lula spoke up, holding up a big box of colourful mms that Coulson had gifted Melinda. 'mms' were coulson's favourite so it wasn't a surprise that Lula likes them too.

"I just knew." Melinda replied stiffly, before falling back into silence.

"Aren't you gonna ask me anything else?" Her daughter asked suddenly with a tone change in her voice. "What? No hello Lula or How have you been Lula? I'm your mother, I missed you so much?" Sarcastic tones and Mood swings. Definitely from Coulson. No denying in that.

"I.. I have to go." Melinda said quickly, wishing to get out of this situation. She quickly sprung up from her chair and made her way towards the door.

"So that's it?" She heard Lula's demanding voice again. "You're just leaving me? Again!"

"I'm not ready for this, Lula." Melinda stated as she stopped in her tracks and starred at the kid.

"You can atleast try." Lula said, this time more softly, almost like pleading.

"I can't. It's not safe."

"Why?" Lula spoke again. "For 12 years you have neglected me like a plague. Avoided me! Didn't you ever wondered how I felt? Or how I was?" Lula cried, stepping closer to Melinda. "Every moment of my life I had wished that you would one day come back to me. That one day you would accept me. But you never did. Don't you love me? Why do you hate me so much? What have I done to deserve this kind of treatment from you?"

"Lula.."

"No. You have to answer me!" Lula cut her mother off, as tears stained her cheeks. "I thought maybe you came back to work on our relationship but your not even trying."

"Because I don't want to." Melinda exclaimed, loosing her patience.

"You do... but you don't want to accept it. It's like you see me as a mistake. Is that who I am to you? A mistake?" Lula demanded, dropping the chocolate boxes back on the couch. "Tell me, mum? Am I a mistake? TELL ME!"

"Yes!" Melinda yelled, before realising what she had said. She looked at Lula's broken expression and hurt in those little brown eyes. "Lula.. I-I didn't mean-"

"No." Lula shook her head, raising her hand to stop Melinda from speaking any further. "That's all I wanted to hear. I wanted to know the truth." Lula sniffed as she wiped her tears. "I get it, you hate me."

"I don't hate you, Lula. I never could." Melinda said softly, dropping down to her daughter's level. She held her hands but was disappointed to know when Lula yanked her own away from her grip. "Lula.. "

"No. Please, that's enough." Lula stated as she moved back. "Grandpa always told me that you were strong. That you would get back up and always do the right thing. I guess he was wrong." Melinda didn't look, she picked up her jacket and left the house, slamming the door shut behind her. That was the first time, Melinda had made a bad image of herself in Lula's heart. An image of a bad mother.

 **...**

From then on Melinda limited her visits. Not only because she didn't have much spare time to travel country to country between missions but also because her own daughter refused to see her. The gifts she brought were always thrown out the window before she could even leave the house. Considering Melinda never saw Lula after that incident, they both always knew when one has visited each other. Maybe it was the gifts on the coffee table or William May's feeble attempts at reuniting mother and daughter, they would always know of each other's presence.

At some point, Melinda wanted to make amends with her daughter but her job and her sense of dread of Coulson finding out stopped her. She couldn't afford to loose Coulson. He was the only one keeping her sane.

There was a time when Melinda tried to talk to Lula once, 3 years after their fight. But by then, things had changed. Lula wasn't that pretty little girl she had seen before. By then, Lula had became much more of a rebel. So it was predictable to know that Lula wouldn't talk to Melinda again. And she didn't.

This continued until the mission in Bahrain happened. The mission that changed everything. The pain of killing the gifted child was too much for Melinda. She found Lula's essence in that gifted child. Killing her changed Melinda from inside out. She lost herself in Bahrain. From then on, Melinda never visited Lula again. She never talked to her father or mother. She closed herself off to every possible emotion except pain. Something that stayed with her till the end, never leaving her alone.

Even after 7 years from Lula's 15th birthday, as Melinda fought off the rebels using the Asgardian Berserker Staff, she not only met with the gifted child's face but also her 12 year old daughter's broken expression. One word repeated itself in her head. **_Mistake_**. She fought the so called human gods with anger as each and every word of her meeting with Lula played in her mind. The magic of the staff souring through her veins after every hit. **(Season 1 Episode 8)**

 ** _Why did you do this, mum?_**

 ** _What have I done to receive this kind of treatment from you?_**

 ** _Don't you love me?_**

 ** _Was I mistake to you? WAS I?!_**

"AAAHHHHHHHH!"

"Melinda STOP!" She heard Coulson's loud voice, as she brought down the staff just inches away from the blonde women's face. She looked wildly at her team leader and then at her team members who were starring shockingly at her sudden yell of cry. She felt soft hands grip her wrists, slowly calming her down.

"May... She's knocked out." Coulson repeated in her ear as she looked at the unconscious blonde. "Let it go." She couldn't stop herself from starring intensely at Coulson's blue orbs, searching if she had gone far. She didn't. She slowly let the staff fall and moved back, tears pooling her eyes.

Her team stared back at her in shock and fear. Even the combat specialist Grant Ward who had his eyes wide open, even though he was affected by the staff's magic to go through the most tragic part of your life.

From that day on, no-one ever questioned her about the incident. Maybe they were too afraid or Maybe it was Coulson's strict orders to leave Melinda alone.

Two years later, things are somewhat better. Three years with her original SHIELD team, she had learnt to accept them as a family at some point, even if things were tight for them. HYDRA coming out, Ward betraying them, Skye gaining her powers and the existence of inhumans, has left Melinda busy, along with emotions and betrayals coursing around her like air. She had learnt to keep herself from exploding... until she entered Coulson's office at PLAYGROUND. What she found was something she didn't expect. Pictures. Pictures of five people sprawled on Coulson's desk. One of them being a female, who looked way to familiar for Melinda's liking.

"Good, your on time." The whole team was present as they stared at the five images. Melinda felt her breadth hitch as her mind finally recognised the image of the familiar female. Dark black curls... big brown eyes.. It was none other her daughter. Lula May.

 **AUTHOR NOTE:**

 **So just to clear some things off:**

 **\- Lula is 24 in the last scene and the scene happens during Season 3 of AOS**

 **\- Bahrain happened when Lula was a little over 15**

 **\- The Asguardian Berserker Staff scene is from 1x08 of AOS. Some things are changed but it happens during that time.**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Melinda May could not be more angry than she is now. _An international thief?_ Is that what her daughter has become now? And to think that she did it under the guidance of her own father? Through his magic tricks?

"No offence, sir but these people are just normal thieves. What does that has got to do with us? We have more trivial issues to take care off like the ATCU and the Lash." Mack spoke up as he looked at the large screen on the wall, showcasing the visual appearances of the magicians.

"Mack's right, sir." Bobbie interfered. "I've heard of these magicians before, a year ago when they were active. It's basically an FBI operation, I'm sure they can handle this."

"I doubt that." Fitz proposed earning himself a pointed look from others.

"What do you mean, Fitz?" Skye asked as Melinda stayed silent in anger. She didn't know why but with every word being said in the room, she could feel her anger flare up. Anger at herself for being so ignorant of her daughter that now her little baby girl is branded as an international thief and is in danger. Not to mention the worry of Coulson finding out about Lula.

"He means, these magicians are cunning and clever." Coulson took over. "They've questioned the FBI's efficiency multiple times. What was the record of their second robbery, Fitz? Was it 100 or 120?"

"153 FBI agents, sir." Fitz answered with a smirk as everyone else in the room widened their eyes at the number. "They play robin hood. You know like... stealing from the rich and giving it to the poor. They never kept the money they stole. I think it's one of their rules." Fitz wondered.

"Okay." Skye nodded, leaning on the table. "So they are _big international thieves._ But how does that involve us?"

"I think your forgetting the word 'magicians', Skye." Coulson reminded her with his cryptic smile. "We have reasons to believe that they have some sort of powers. They call it magic. The words 'Illusions' and 'Tricks' are just a way to cover up their reality." Melinda looked up at the suggestion. Magic? That can't be real. She knew her father had a crazy obsession with magic tricks but real magic?

"So you want us to INDEX them?" Skye proposed dryly.

"Yes. And I also think this mission will be a nice break for all of you." Coulson said, looking at everyone's grim faces. "I know things have been hard for all of us for the past few months. I think it's time for a distraction." Everyone exchanged looks for few seconds before nodding. Melinda couldn't agree more. They needed a break from all the happenings. But for Melinda, this mission was like going in over-drive.

"Okay, then." Coulson smiled as he loaded up some extra intel on the large screen on the wall infront of them. "So these files should give you all an idea of what we are dealing with. Including their newly replaced female member 'Lula' and the fifth horsemen 'FBI agent Dylan Rhodes'. After outwitting the FBI for over an year, these magicians re-surfaced 6 hours ago in Owen Case's new software launch party in LA. Apparently Case's new software is a strict violation to everyone's privacy. It secretly steals the user's data for Case's own gain."

"Another corrupted businessmen." Skye mumbled as she remembered her Rising Tide years where she has come across many corruption businesses. Melinda on the other hand was quiet. She wanted to know how far Lula is in the life of illusion and tricks.

"They hijacked the launch party but before they could proceed with their show, something went wrong. A loud un-identified voice-over revealed the dead Wilder and the fifth horsemen. After that they went off grid. No-one knows where they are."

"Sounds like their own trick backfired on them." Bobbie stated, looking at the footage of the recorded show at Case's company.

"Skye, I want you to find out about the third party that interrupted their show. " Coulson ordered to the young inhuman who nodded. "Fitz, run their features on every country. They are bound to re-surface somewhere. And also both of you, do an extensive search on the horsemen." Both Fitz and Skye nodded as they left the room. Bobbie exchanged a look with Mack and Hunter.

"What do you want us to do, sir?" She asked looking at Coulson.

"Mack, stay at the base." Coulson started. "Bobbie, Hunter, get ready, your going to LA. I want you to scout the place where Case's launch party was held. Maybe if we find how they escaped, we can then locate them." The three field agent nodded before existing the room, leaving Coulson and Melinda as the only occupants. Coulson stole a look at his best friend who was still frozen in her spot, with the same void expression.

"You seem pretty quiet in this, may?" He asked, picking up some uncomfortable vibes from the cavalry. "Is there something bothering you?" Melinda stiffened at the question.

"What do you want me to do Coulson?" She asked, coldly.

"Stay here with me. Monitor the operation." She nodded before walking around the desk, towards the door.

"Are you all right, may?" Coulson asked again, worriedly.

"Yeah." She replied before leaving the room. Coulson frowned at Melinda's weird behaviour. He almost shrugged it off until he noticed that the paper image of the Female magician was gone from his desk.

 **...**

 **Few hours later…**

Skye huffed in annoyance as she came up with a dead end at figuring out the origins of the unknown voice. The electro voice that interfered with the horsemen's show is actually a collaboration of different voices, all joined together. She can't seem to separate it. The signal kept bouncing from place to place whenever she tried to trace it back. Whoever it was, they were good. So good that they were giving Skye, a successful hacker, a hard time even with all the resources at her disposal.

"Ugghhh!" She groaned in defeat as her screen flare up red, again. Jemma, who was standing right next to her station, leaned in to look at the object of Skye's frustration.

"Is that the magician's case?" She questioned Skye. Jemma had decided to sit out this mission. She was still coping with her experience at being stranded on an unknown planet. Fitz's constant presence is the only thing that keeps her sane. The horrors of that ancient planet and the darkness on it still haunts her dreams, even though it's been a month since she came back.

Skye nodded as an answer to her friend's question.

"Don't worry, you'll find a solution." Jemma assured, the same way she did to Will when she was stuck there. "Let yourself be the voice of hope."

"Uh… Guys? I think I found something." Fitz interrupted them with a look and motioned them to come onto his station. Both the girls leaned on his desk as they looked at Fitz's screen. What they saw, surprised them.

"Is that...?" Skye started but stopped as she saw Fitz nodding.

"That's Henley Reeves." Fitz announced, looking at the image of a red-hair women. "She re-surfaced few minutes ago in London. At a coffee shop. We need to inform Coulson."

"On it!" Skye informed as she immediately ran out of the room.

 **...**

Skye hurried along the corridors, as she quickly entered Coulson's office without knocking, which seemed to be a bad idea since Coulson was in a heated argument with someone on the phone.

"DC, we got a hit on one of their former members. Henley Reeves." She announced just as Melinda entered the office behind her.

"Where?" Coulson questioned with seriousness as he put his phone away.

"London."

"Go, take a team with you." He ordered. "Bring her here." Skye nodded and was about to leave when Melinda stopped her.

"Wait, I'm coming with you." Melinda announced.

"I need you here May." Coulson protested.

"No, I'm going." Melinda shot back. "Skye and me are enough for this." Coulson grumbled in response before nodding.

"Fine. Just bring her here." He stated before dismissing the two.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

"Hunter, Bobbie." Coulson greeted his two agents on his large screen. "What can you tell me so far?"

"You were right, sir." Bobbie started. "They had an exit plan through the roof. One of the local wasteland Driver was hypnotised to help them out. We didn't get much intel, except that a long black sliding tube was found from the roof of the building to the back alley behind Case's building. It ended on a truck. That's where we found the driver, still waiting."

"My guess is that It was their escape route." Hunter interfered. "But somehow it wasn't followed up."

"That brings us to the second tube that was found 20 meters away from the first one. It ended in the same alley but a fair distance away from the first truck." Bobbie informed. "But as usual, all traces were gone before our arrival. Infact if we hadn't looked at the building from a different view, we would have never seen any of the tubes. They blended so well with their surroundings that it was hard to imagine that the answer was right infront of her eyes." Coulson nodded.

"So they never used their original escape route?" He questioned the two.

"Nope." Hunter answered with a shake of his head. "They must have snuck out from the second tube."

"Or maybe they got the wrong one?" Bobbie proposed. "I mean we know someone interrupted their show, maybe that person set it up to lure the magicians in because the tube is the exact replica of the first one. Two same tubes angled differently, what are the odds at that?" Coulson looked thoughtful at the theory. Maybe it was a trap?

"Okay, anything else?" Coulson asked.

"Oh yes." Hunter spoke up, looking at something in his hands. "we found some weird symbols in the second tube. I'm sending it to Fitz for analyzation."

"Okay then, come home." Coulson announced as his agents nodded before cutting the video call.

 **…..**

Melinda felt dread fill inside her as she pushed a grumbling red-head into the base. The only reason she volunteered to go with Skye was to make sure that the former magician was caught, so she could demand some answers about her daughter, Lula. And now that they have caught her-surprisingly an easy catch, much to Melinda's displeasure, since she hoped for a full on hardcore chase- she didn't know where to start or how to proceed. To be honest, Melinda was angry at Lula's choice to become a thief. A thief hidden behind the title of 'magician'. She knows magic is just a hoax. There is no way Lula could be one of the gifted ones or an inhuman. It's impossible. Melinda would have noticed it during her visits, even though they were very low in numbers but still... Not to mention, her dad would have told her. He tells Melinda everything! Unless.. he didn't?

"You people are going to regret this." Henley hissed as skye pushed her a little harshly. "I'm not a part of them anymore!"

"Yes, but your the closets link to them." Skye replied, as henley tried to wiggle her wrists away from the SHIELD issued handcuffs. They were designed to damper any inhuman's or gifted individual's powers. Skye felt amused as she saw the red-head arching her hands in a way that only Skye has done many times to emit a high-frequency vibration waves out of her hands. As predicted, nothing happened. "Yeah, I felt the same when I was in them." Skye replied to Henley's shocked look. "These handcuffs-" Skye said pointing towards the blue cuffs around Henley's wrist "-are designed to make any gifted individual powerless. In this case, it's you. As long as they are locked around your wrists, you are powerless."

Melinda smirked at the magician's shocked look. The women had done so many robberies with her co-horsemens that Melinda doesn't feel any remorse of feeling pity at the red-head. Not to mention, the crime of pulling her daughter into this crap, which brings her dislike of the red-head to a whole new different level. Even if Lula had powers, Melinda won't let Lula mis-use them, even if she had to INDEX her own daughter. She only wants Lula to be safe.

"Relax, we're not going to hurt you or anything." Skye assured Henley as they entered Vault D where they held their interrogations after Ward was moved out. "We just want to ask you some questions." She finished pushing Henley onto the chair. "And then put you on INDEX or maybe if your nice enough and want to save the world, I might offer you a position on my team." Skye smiled before exiting the vault, leaving Melinda behind with the grumbling magician.

Henley cocked her eye-brows up as she noticed Melinda's stiff & cold posture, and the brown beady eyes looking straight at her. The image of Melinda reminded henley of the new female horsemen. Same strong, confident posture. Same eyes. Henley shook her head at the similarities and sighed... If only Daniel hadn't made things complicated in their relationship, she would have never left.

"My answer isn't going to change even if you keep starring at me." Henley huffed out to Melinda, relaxing her back on the chair and resting her cuffed hands on the cold table. "I'm not a part of their group anymore."

"But you know stuff that we could use." Coulson's voice rang out the room as Melinda turned around to face Coulson standing at the steel door with his tablet. He looked at her. "Your dismissed Agent May." Melinda nodded before leaving the room. She can't ask her questions publicly. She'll have to disable the cameras before demanding at Henley. For now she's going to watch Coulson's interrogation.

 **...**

"I told you I don't know where they are. I left their group 8 months ago!" Henley's loud voice echoed around the surveillance room, as Fitz, Gemma, Skye, Melinda and Mack stared at the live footage of Coulson's interrogation with Henley.

"Do you think she's gonna crack?" Fitz asked Skye who was starring intendedly at the screen.

"I don't know. I feel like she's telling the truth." Skye replied.

"Me to." Gemma piped in before starring at Mack, expecting an answer from him. He looked baffled for a second before replying.

"I do to, but she's hiding something." Melinda on the other hand wasn't convinced. She smell something weird cooking up in Henley's head. Mack was right, the red-head magician was hiding something. Melinda could almost see that amused glint in Henley's eyes that indicates that the magician is playing with them.

 **...**

"I'm giving you a fair deal here, Henley." Coulson addressed the lady personally. "Either you help us find them or we can hand you over to the FBI. I'm sure they have a nice cell ready for you."

"But I don't know where they are!" Henley exclaimed in protest. "It's already been two days, they're already out of the country by now."

"True, but your the only one who can find them. You know their ways." Coulson said.

"I'm not going to betray my team!"

"They are not your team anymore, Henley." Coulson pushed, trying to turn the lady on his side. "They replaced you."

"Only because I left."

"Yes, but they still replaced you." Coulson repeated. Henley stared at him with suspicion.

"What do you exactly want with them?" She asked, turning the tables on Coulson. "You don't seem like a FBI agency to me, so keeping them in a cell is out of question." Coulson stared at the lady with a serious face. Looks like it was his turn to reveal some cards.

"Powers can be a dangerous ability, Ms. Reeves." Coulson replied, straightening his back. "We only want everyone to be safe."

"So your some kind of supernatural corps?" Henley scoffed. "You think that we have some sort of powers? Is that what your agency is interested in?" Henley asked before Realising something. "So that's means I don't have any deal to play with. Cause one way or another, You won't let me go because of what I can do."

"Not exactly." Coulson corrected. "We'll let you go but not before doing some tests to check your power's limitations and extension. Making sure that your powers are safe and you can be trusted with them, or if by any chance you went over the edge, we have all the knowledge to stop you." Henley narrowed her eyes at Coulson with a hardcore glare.

"And you think I'm just going to let you monitor me like a pet?" She hissed out.

"This is the best deal we can give you, unless you want to spend your time in a FBI cell. The INDEXing process will still apply to you." Coulson smiled.

"INDEXing?" Henley asked as her eye twitched in anger.

"The process of making sure your powers are contained and monitored." Coulson simply answered. "So do we have a deal?" Henley stared at Coulson in a calculating way. Coulson knew that the women was still playing a some sort of game with them. He could see gears turning in her head and knew that she will try something to escape. After all she's the escape artist. He only feared what her coming moves would be. The horsemens were always unpredictable.

"Fine, I'll help you."


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

"Hey Jemma, what do these symbols look like to you?" Fitz asked her partner as he scratched his head looking at the range of black symbols that Bobbie had sent through the feed.

"They're quite repetitive, aren't they?" Jemma commented, twisting her sideways to see a pattern among the designs. She felt a little heavy as she concentrated on the symbols. Something was definitely wrong with them. "Is it just me or I feel a little dizzy whenever I concentrate hard on them?" She asked, finally peeling her eyes of the symbols to Fitz. She instant felt the dizzy feeling wash away.

"Yeah, I felt the same." Fitz replied, before picking up the paper and swinging it back and forth infront of Jemma eyes. "See, if I move them like this, they look like arrows." Jemma felt her head spin as Fitz continued swinging the paper around. His voice raising in intensity to her ears. "I don't know what this means. Why would it look like arrows? And why are they so large and bold? Right Jemma? Jemma?" Fitz suddenly felt panicked as he turned around to find Jemma lying on the floor. "JEMMA!"

 **...**

"What happened?" Coulson exclaimed as he reached the medical bay where he can see an unconsciousness Jemma on the bed, and a disoriented Fitz sitting on the chairs, being comforted by Skye. He had heard the news of Jemma loosing conciseness just after he finished making a deal with Henley.

"Jemma fainted." Lincoln informed him, as he came out of Jemma's pod. Skye who was comforting Fitz, got up to check the reports.

"But how?" She asked in confusion.

"By these." Lincoln said as he held up the same paper of symbols that Fitz was examining earlier. "They're not just any symbols. These are Binaural symbols used to put someone to sleep. Pair them up with the binaural beats and they can knock anyone out for a whole day. Mainly like hypnotism but a little more powerful."

"These are the symbols that Bobbie and Hunter sent." Coulson realised. "They found it inside of one of the tubes. Which means we were right. There's a third party involved. They must have rendered the magicians unconscious using these symbols as they slid through the tube and then kidnapped them."

"Well, I'll let you all back to your case." Lincoln announced. "And don't worry Jemma's fine. She'll wake up in few minutes." He added, looking at Fitz.

"Thanks Lincoln." Skye smiled before letting the inhuman leave the room. "Where's Henley?" She asked looking at Coulson.

"In the surveillance room with Mack. Wanna join?"

"Sure."

 **...**

Meanwhile, in the surveillance room, Mack was on his guard as Henley slowly touched each and every object in the room. She glided from one place to another, examining the tech. Mack wasn't sure if she was planting something or soaking in their security arrangements. He can still see the SHIELD issued handcuffs on her wrists which by the made him feel a little calm but none the less he was not happy with the idea of a magician partially roaming around free. Since her hands were cuffed infront of her, she was able touch the objects freely. It was at Skye's computer when Mack lost his patience.

"Don't touch that." He said firmly, stopping Henley from moving any further. "And that." He continued as she went for the next big thing which turned out to Gemma's blood samples.

Henley on the other hand was amused by Mack's behaviour. She felt an urge to push his buttons. And that's what she did. With a slight grin up on her face, she went for the communication systems. It was at that moment when someone harshly grabbed her hands and pushed them back slightly. She looked up to see Melinda standing beside her.

"Don't touch things that aren't yours." Henley felt her lips twitch. She likes her.

"Ms. reeves." Someone called out her name. It was Coulson. He strode towards her with a young girl around her age. "This is Skye." He pointed towards the girl beside him who threw a tight smirk at Henley. "She will be monitoring you throughout this operation. One wrong move and you'll find yourself back in the cell." Henley raised her eye brow at the open threat. "As soon as we find your people, the better it is for all of us."

"You mean it's better for you." Henley corrected, noticing Skye's bored look. Coulson ignored the comment as he strode around her to Mack.

"Any new intel?"

"No, sir. Nothing has showed up on the grid yet." Mack informed looking at the screens. "Agent Dylan Rhodes cell phone was last used at Owen's launch party, just few minutes after his cover was blown. After that, it has appeared to be switched off."

"And as for others…" Skye started, tapping few keys on her tablet just as an image appeared on the large screen. It showed a satellite view of the OCTA building where the launch party was held. "This is one of our satellite's view of the building. They managed to capture the four horsemen." She said, pointing at four black figures. "They escaped through the roof, running along the edges and disappearing off to the side."

"I guess that's where the black tube come in…" Coulson suggested.

"Yes." Skye confirmed, loading up few shots of the building. "Hunter sended these through the feed. They matched with our satellite view. The magicians disappeared off through this tube and after that, there was no sign of them." Henley, who was now standing at the very back, used this opportunity to sit on a chair beside Skye's computer. She stretched her feet over the table and looked boringly at the argument going on infront of her.

"I think they installed the second tube to trick us." Mack suggested. "They have done this before." He continued, glancing at Henley who raised her perfectly manicured eye-brow in return. "With Jack Wilder's death."

"As much as I like to believe this, I really think that this time there's a third party involved. All the evidence points towards it." Skye interfered. "The disruption in their show, the binaural beats we found and the idea of having two identical tubes in the same area only installed few spaces apart." Coulson agreed with Skye. He looked back towards Henley.

"What do you suggest?" Coulson asked, turning towards her.

"You are asking me?" Henley questioned mockingly.

"Well, you're helping us, right? We made a deal, remember? It starts now." Skye informed, giving a bright smile in Henley's direction, who doesn't like it one bit.

"Okay."

"So, what do you suggest?" Coulson questioned again.

"Wait." Henley stated. "Wait for them to make their move."

"But why?" Skye protested. "Won't they get away if we wait?"

"You said it yourself there's a third party involved, which means the horsemen are clueless of what's happening to them. The only thing we can do now is wait for them to re-surface. We don't know qwhat's happening with them or where they are."

"But that doesn't mean we should sit and wait." Mack interfered.

"Then what else could you do?" Henley challenged.

"She's right. We have nothing on the magicians as of right now." Coulson spoke up. "We need to wait."

"But we don't have time to wait." Skye protested again. "The more we wait, the further they will be away from us!"

"Skye's right, sir." Mack supported. "It will be a lot harder for us to catch them."

"See that's the difference between you and us. Patience is everything." Henley commented, as she stood up and walked around. "If you wanna play cats & dogs, by all means go ahead. I won't stop you. But if you want them to come to you, you will have to wait for their move." Everyone in the room gave her a calculated look. They didn't trust her one bit.

"Fine, we will wait." Coulson announced, much to everyone's displeasure.

 **...**

"Come on, pick it up, pick it up... Shit!" Dylan cursed as he cut the call. It's been two days since the hijack of Octa. Everything has blown out of proportions. His FBI cover... Their entire plan... It's all gone. "Please tell me your safe." He muttered in worry as he angrily stomped on a pile of leaves infront of him.

Dylan had never felt this panicked and out of breadth before. At least, not since that night on the river. They were gone, his horsemens are gone and it was all his fault. He hadn't paid attention. He got sloppy. He let them expose themselves and now they are gone. It was all his fault. He's worried and he's desperate. He couldn't loose them, not now. Not like this. He dragged them down into the eye for his own personal vendetta which by the way hadn't meant a thing, and now he was terrified they'd be paying the price for his mistakes.

It was at that moment when he received a text from a private number.

 _ **They're on hold. Stay off the grid!**_

He felt a little relieved at the message. At least Henley has SHIELD handled. But he doubted it would be for so long. He knew the risks when he brought Lula into this. He made it clear to Lula that her appearance in public might push her to face her past. He just hopes that SHIELD doesn't become much of a problem for them. Indexing people with powers is something that The Eye doesn't allow.

 **...**

"I think it's a bad idea." Melinda said as soon as she was alone with Coulson. She didn't trust Henley one bit. Living with her father and knowing him for so long, there was one thing she was absolutely sure about. Patience is a beneficial element _only_ for the magicians. She was 101% sure that the women was stalling them.

"May, I know your instincts are always right but right now I think Reeves idea seems like a better option." Coulson reasoned, as he put his files back in their places.

"A better idea?!" Melinda scoffed, banging her hand on his table. "She's a magician for god's sake! She's playing with our mind!"

"May, I know what you mean but somehow I feel she's telling us the truth."

"What do you mean?" Melinda questioned, folding her arms.

"Magicians are the most honest people, may. They tell you that they are going to fool you and they do that exactly. In the same way, reeves is telling us that she's helping her people and she's doing it right infront of us."

"I still don't get you, Coulson." May hissed, tapping her foot.

"Look, she told us that the horsemens don't know what's happening to them which means she has no idea what's going on. All she is doing is giving time to both parties to figure the puzzle out. As soon as the pieces fall in their place, each of the sides, meaning us and the horsemen, will know what to do next. She hasn't lied to us about anything yet."

"But she's stalling us!" Melinda countered, not liking Coulson for taking Henley's side. She's desperate about her daughter.

"That's one of the meanings of her words."

"What if all this is a part of some big elaborate trick of theirs?!" Melinda continued.

"I won't be surprised."

"Coulson!" She hissed. "Stop taking her side!"

"I'm not. I'm just trying to understand the way she thinks." Coulson reasoned, looking suspiciously at May. "Why are you getting so worked up on her? I know you have trust issues but they never got you this angry before." Melinda rolled her eyes at the comment. "What are you hiding?"

"I'm not hiding anything!" She retorted.

"Then why are you upset?"

"I'm not."

"Oh really?" Melinda gave him the best glare she could muster up. She was annoyed but at the same time she admired Coulson for his cheer up attempts. She could see that little pout on his face.

"Stop it." She said after looking away from his face. She should be thinking about her daughter's safety and not old crush's pouting look.

"What?" Coulson said innocently.

"Stop doing that."

"I'm not doing anything that." He continued innocently, giving her a cheeky smile, much to her irritation.

"Knock it off or I'll do it myself."

"But I'm not doing anything!" That was the last straw. She moved forward to slap him lightly but stopped as her foot accidently hit Coulson's desk, tripping her in the process. She hit the floor with light thud.

She cursed in Chinese just as she heard a small laugh above her. Coulson.

"Oh melee. My sweetheart, are you alright?" He cooed and mimicked just like her mother used to do when they used to spend nights together all those years ago. "Oh may, I still remember those nights with your mother. You were so fun!" He laughed, oblivious to her growing anger.

"Coulson." She said suddenly grabbing his attention. "You're dead." And with that she flung herself on him, in the process knocking both of them back on the floor, May ending up landing on top of him.

"Say you're sorry." She ordered, pinning him down and looking at him straight in the eye.

"No"

"Say it, Coulson." This time when she finished repeating her words, she suddenly found herself in a pinning position as Coulson was, while Coulson found his way on top of her. He leaned in a little towards her face with a teasing smirk.

"No." Melinda felt her irritation build up but stopped as she noticed Coulson slowly reaching for her hands and pinning them above her head. He looked straight into her eyes. "Tell me may, do you beg to be released?" He questioned, shocking her. Melinda felt her breadth hitch. She just realized how close they are. They haven't been this close since Bahrain.

"What are you doing Coulson?" She asked, trying to calm her beating heart. She broke up with him. She doesn't deserve him. Melinda thought about all the fun time she had with him but also all the secrets she had kept from him. Like Lula.

"I'm asking you question May." He continued, leaning in a little.

"This isn't funny Coulson." She was right. It isn't funny. He knew she loves him and he does that to her on purpose. Coming so close and making her feel so helpless. She closed her eyes as he leaned in further. If he comes any closer, she won't be able to control her feelings. "Phil please." She said slowly, addressing him with his first name. He stopped.

"Why may?" He whispered, hurt at her words. "Why?" She opened her eyes at his words. She stayed quiet. She didn't know how to answer his question. Last time it was her trauma of Bahrain that made her take the step of separation but now that she's in a better state, she doesn't know how to respond back. She loves him but she's afraid that if he finds out about her lie… her Lula… his Lula… he will hate her forever. She doesn't want to be heartbroken again.

"Phil please." She repeated her words, looking away from his eyes. "leave me." Nothing. Coulson didn't move. Instead he gripped her tighter.

"No."

"Phil—"

"No!" She tried to wiggle her hands free and was able to for a second but was pinned down again when Coulson leaned in further. The idea of being so close to him nerved her to no-end. It was like love at first sight all over again.

They were only few inches apart when they heard a sudden a knock on Coulson's door. Coulson's grip loosened. Melinda used this to her advantage. She wiggled her hands free and pushed him away from her.

"Never do this to me again." She hissed at Coulson quietly before getting up. She was about to answer the door is when she felt her arm being pulled and felt herself crash against the wall.

"Why are you running away from me, May?" She heard his voice beside her ear. He was angry. "What have I done? I have controlled my feelings for a nearly a decade now May. You know I love you then why do you run away from me?!" He said loudly, not caring that someone was still knocking on the door. "Tell me why and I will leave you." Melinda looked in his eyes. They were watering. "Tell me!" He repeated, banging his hand on the wall behind her.

"Because I don't want to get hurt." She croaked out slowly putting her mask on. "I don't want to feel pain again." She said, this time more confidently.

"The only pain you are afraid of is yours making." He suddenly accused. "Don't put this on me!" And with that he let her go and stormed out of the office, leaving a startled Skye behind who was the person knocking on the door.


End file.
